The Garden Shedde

Every summer when we get together with friends this topic comes up. It’s because we all have a different way of preparing Bruchetta as well as have slightly different ingredients. No one ever complains about the other we just can’t figure out if there is a right or wrong way to make this wonderful dish.

If you are not familiar with Bruchetta it is made of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese at its core. Of course some add salt and pepper, onions and garlic and a host of other things from time to time to make it even more interesting. All this is normally served over good hearty toasted bread in slices or diced up and scoped out on the bread slices. The main thing you need to know is you can’t ruin this dish as it is flipping fantastic if you use fresh ingredients and that includes homegrown organic tomatoes. There are so many recipes online you can have a blast just looking at them all. Experiment and let me know what you think is the best. In the end, that’s all that matters anyway!

It’s always fun to get together and share a garden. You find out a lot about likes and dislikes when family and friends start talking about all the things they want to grow. If you have a limited space, you have to make some hard choices; thus the choices in our garden this year with several other families. We ended up planting Lemon Balm for one couple who love to put it in their iced tea throughout the summer; cilantro fro two couples who love Mexican dishes an salsa all summer long.

We wanted to try Stevia this year as we have another friend who grows and harvests it year round. There are the staples of culinary including Basil, Mint, Thyme, Rosemary, Dill and Oregano of which we all use for a multitude of recipes. It has been fun to explore the ends and outs of each of these herbs and how they are grown and harvested. I can’t say that we have had a 100% success rate but we are really close to it! Our motto is try once, if we don’t succeed, try twice. If we don’t succeed, buy it!

Everyone needs a place to go and escape and get lost in their own little world.  My place is my home garden greenhouse that sits in my backyard. It is inside this wonderful space of fragrant blooms that I can put aside any stress of my day.  I know when the world around me gets crazy I have a tranquil, peaceful space waiting for me at home.  It is here I find peace and quiet and a calm I cannot totally explain.

However, it is my world of lush green flowers and herbs, a place I can grow and be a part of the earth on a year-round basis.  There is no better place to get back in touch than spending some time in nature.  Since most of us don’t have a lot of “nature” in our backyards, you can create your own garden oasis with a garden greenhouse.  After just an hour or so of escape, I am ready to reenter the real world refreshed and ready to go.

I highly recommend playing in a little dirt everyday as it sooths the soul.  There is no better way to accomplish this than with a wonderful greenhouse.

Gardening enthusiasts are always keen to try out new things. However, the novice gardener usually starts with a few flowering or ornamental plants and after getting some success, shifts to other areas like vegetable or herb gardening. You will find growing vegetables and herbs in your garden or raised beds and pots will give you a great deal of pleasure.

There is a variety of herbs you can grow in planters and raised beds.  This allows you to grow your own even if pressed for space.  Some of the best herbs that are sometimes better contained in planters, window boxes or raised beds are mint, coriander and rosemary.  The herbs will thrive and easily satisfy the requirements of the gardener and/or the cook!  You will get so much satisfaction cooking with and eating something you have produced. 

Planters can be fun as well as easy to manage because you can move them wherever there is adequate light and mix and match as you please.  Because planters and raised beds are movable and flexible enough to experiment with and to plant many different varieties of plants, herbs and vegetables, they are a must for any serious gardener and great for the beginner.